Wheel



J 9,1945. c. w. SINCLAIR 2,366,938

WHEEL Filed Dec. 15, 1943 Ill INVENTOR.

CHARLES W. SINCLAIR ATTORN EYS Patented Jan. 9,-

Charles W. Sinclair, Detroit, Mich, assignor to Kelsey-Hayes Wheel Company, Detroit,: Mich,

a corporation of Delaware I j e Application December 13, 1943, Serial No. 514,123 1 3 Claims. w(Cl. 301-63) (I The invention relates to wheels and refers more particularly to wheels of that type designed for use with pneumatic tires of relatively widebase and relatively smallbead diameter.

H The invention has for one of its objects to provide a wheel which is constructed to be relatively strong to withstand the stresses to which it is normally subjected and also to be relatively light in weight.

l The invention has for another object to provide a wheel having arim of relatively great width constructed in a manner to provide for ready H mounting and demounting of a tire and also to reinforce the rim. I The invention has for a further object to provide a wheel constructed for attachment ofga brake drum ateach side ofythetwheel. 1 j

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing,in which secured to the end portions er the hub a nd lthe peripherally flared parts diverge radially outwardly from the main parts. The mainparts are formed with the annular series of bosses I5 radially inwardly of the peripherally flared parts for attachment to rotatable brake drums at the inboard and outboard sides of the. inboard and outboard side elements. The rim portions II diverge radially outwardly from the peripherally flared parts I4, each rim portion having a flared "part I! connecting into and extending outwardly from the associated peripherally flared part.

The reinforcing element 4 is made of sheet steeland is of generally conical section. It extends between and is connected to the central axial part I3 of the inboard side element l and Figure 1 is a side elevationbf a portion of "a wheel embodyingthe invention;

2 -2 and 33, respectively, of Figure 1,

The wheel is designedfor use with pneumatic tires of relatively wide base andrelatively small bead diameter. More particularlythe wheel is a relativelylarge airplane wheel subject to a very heavy load and also a verypowerful brake thrust.

Figures 2 and 3 are cross sectlonsjlon the lines 4 The wheel comprises the hub I the inboard and outboard sideelements 2 and 3, respectively, and the reinforcing element! and the annulus 5, both of which extend between and are secured to the side elementsl The hub I is formed of steel and preferably the flared part II of the rim portion of the outboard side element '3. More particularly, the inboard end portion l8 of the reinforcing element extends axially and is located between the central axial parts I3 and the inboard endportion "I of the hub I andis secured to both bythe rivets used in securing the central axial part I3 to the inboard end portion 1. The outboard end portion I9 oi the reinforcing element extends ever and conforms to and is secured to the flared part l'l by suitable means, such as rivets.

The annulus 5 is made of sheet steel and is endless and has the flared inboard and outboard end portions 2 0 which are secured to the flared parts I! of the inboard and outboard side elements preferably by rivets which include those drop center tire carrying rim.

from a circular sheet steel blank by a series of drawing and upsetting and machining steps. The

hub is tubular and has the reduced central portionB and the enlarged inboard and outboard end portions 1 and 8, respectively,' at the ends of and integral with the central portion and adapted to receive suitable anti-friction bearings for mounting the wheel upon the axle 9;

Each of the inboard and outboard side elements I 2 and 3 is a one-piece sheet steel disc preferably formed by die-pressing a flat circular steel blank.

Each side element has a generally radially ex{ tending body portion Ill and a rim portion I I integral with the bodyportion. Each body portion has a main part I2, a central axial part I3 anda peripherally flaredpart M. The main parts of the body portions converge radially outwardly from the central axial parts which are for securing theoutboard end portion IQ of the reinforcing element 4 to the outboard side ele- 'ment. The annulus forms the central wellof a The rim portions of the inboard and outboard side elementsare formed differently to provide for ready mounting and demounting of a pneumatic tire. More especially, the rim portion II of the inboard side element 2 is provided with the generally axially extending bead seat forming part 2| which extends in an inboard direc-' tion from the flared part I1 and with the returnbent hollow tire retaining head 22 which extends generally radially outwardly from the bead seat forming part at its inboardedge. The bead seat forming part is preferably tapered so that it is inclined at v approximately a5 degree angle to the horizontal. 23 is a radially extending rein forcing steel ring between the bead seat forming part and the inboard brake drum and fixedly I securedto the former asby being welded thereto. The run portion I l of the outboard side ele- 24 and with the axial reinforcing flange 26 which extends in an outboard direction from the radially inner edge of the flange 25. To accommodate the valve stem, the parts IT and 24 are radially inwardly depressed to form the axial channel 21.

openings 28 and 29, respectively, for the passage of the valve stem into the channel; For completing the rim and retaining thepneumatic tire in place, I have provided the tire retaining ring 30. 'It comprises the generally axial part 3!, the annular flange 32 extending radially inwardly from the inboard edge of the part 3! and the return-bent hollow tire retaining bead 33 extending radially outwardly from the outboard edge ofthe generally axial part. The tire retaining ring is adapted, to. be detachably secured to the outboard side element by means of the bolts 34 and the nuts, 35, the bolts extending through the flanges 25 and 3-2 and the heads of the bolts and nuts cooperating toclamp these flanges together. An axial flange 36 is preferably provided at the radially inner edge of the flange 32. for slidably engaging the axial flange 26to relieve the bolts 34- from transverse shear. The flange 32 is. formed with a suitable opening for the passage therethrough of the valve stem. 31 is an annular @band preferably formed of r latively thin sheet steel se-- cured to the generally axial part 3| and extending over the axial part 24, the band and the lat erally outer portion of the generally axial part 3!. forming a bead seat which is preferably tapered in the same manner as the bead seat 2|.

. With this construction, it will be seen that the ring 23, the tire retaining bead 22, the flanges 25 and 26 and the tire retaining ring. 21 all serve to reinforce the tire carrying rim andthat they,

and the reinforcing element 4 serve to reinforce the wheel enabling it to be combined withbrakes at its opposite sides and to withstand the very largeradial, end thrust and torque loads to which it is subject.

What I claim as myinvention is: i

'1. A wheel comprising axially spaced sheet metal side elements each formed of a body portion and an integral rim portion, a sheetmetal reinforcing element of generally conical section having a portion secured to the body portion of one of, said side elements and. a second. portion secured to the rim portion of the other of said Also the outboard end portion Ill 'of the reinforcing element 4 and the flared end portion 20 of the annulus are formed with the;

reinforcing flange.

2. A wheel comprising sheet metal side elements each formed of a body portion and an integral rim portion having a flared part connecti'ngidirectly into said body portion, a sheet metal annulus having portions extending over and secured to the flared. parts of .said rim portions,

one of said rim portions having a generally radially-inwardly extending reinforcing flange, a

tireretaining ring having a generally axial por-- tion, a generally radially inwardly extending flange at one ed e of said axial. portion,v and a generally radially outwardly extending beadat the other edge of saidaxial portion and means for detachably securing said generally radially inwardly extending flangeof said ringTto said reinforcing flange of said rim portion.

3. A wheel comprising a sheet metal side element formed of a body ortion and. an integral rim portion having a flared. part connecting directly into said body portion, a generally axial partextending from said flared part and a gen;- erally radial tire retaining bead extending outwardly from said generally axial part, a second sheet metal side element formed of. a body portion and an integral rim portion having a flared part connecting directly into said last mentioned body portion, a, generally axial part extending from said last mentioned flared part and a. generally radial reinforcing flange extending in wardly from said last mentioned generally axial .part, a sheet metal reinforcing element of enerally conical section having a portion secured ing element, a tire retaining ring having. a gen-- erally radial part detachably secured to saidgenerally radial reinforcing flange and a generally radial tire retaining bead, and a reinforcing ring secured to and extending generally radially inward from said first mentioned generally axial part.

CHARLES W.. SINCLAIR. 

